One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a cleaner for bowling balls, which cleaner is adapted to thoroughly quickly, and economically clean bowling balls.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cleaner for bowling balls that will rapidly and uniformly clean dust, wax, dirt, etc., from bowling balls, and which cleaner is durable, easy to operate, and economical to maintain in use.

A still further object is the provision of a cleaner for bowling balls that is compact, easy to keep clean and to maintain in service and that any inexperienced person may operate satisfactorily without injury or accident.

Heretofore it has been the practice to support bowling balls directly on cleaning brushes during cleaning of the balls with the result that the bristles are quickly bent or broken and the brushes rendered substantially inoperative for cleaning. Also, heretofore, where the balls are rotated for cleaning them the cleaning operation is generally unsatisfactory for the reason that there is no satisfactory cleaning of the balls at their poles or at points in the region of the axis of rotation.

With my invention the above difficulties have been overcome.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the cleaner.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the cleaner as seen at right angles to the view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged part elevational, part sectional view of a booster or air dome in the pump line.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the adjustment for the motor support whereby the same will function as a belt tightner, taken along line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a part sectional, part top plan view of the cleaner.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the rotary cleaning brush taken along line 1--1 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 8 is a semi-diagrammatic view illustrating the divergence of the axes of the rollers that support the ball, the said rollers being enlarged and the outlines of the tank in which the rollers are carried being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the tank, brushes and rollers with a portion of a bowling ball indicated in position on the rollers, taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevational View showing one of the end walls of the cleaner and the adjustment for changing the degree of divergence of the shafts that carry the rollers that in turn carry the ball to be cleaned.

In detail a frame comprising four vertical posts I is adapted to support an upper tank 2 at the upper ends of said posts and a lower tank 3 below said upper tank, while a base 4 is secured to the lower ends of said posts. The upper tank and base may be secured to said posts in any suitable manner, while angle strips 5 (Fig. 1) may support the lower tank 3.

The upper tank 2 is provided with opposed ends 6 and sides I, the said sides being integrally connected by a curved bottom 8 (Fig. 9).

Secured to each of the sides 1 is a pillow block 9 carrying a self aligning ball bearing supporting a shaft I0 (Fig. 8) for rotation, while one of the ends 6 is slotted as at H (Fig. 10) for passage of shafts l0 and which end wall carries self aligning bearings I2 for said shafts (Figs. 8, 10)

A pair of rollers [3 are respectively secured on shafts I0, said rollers being horizontally spaced apart (Fig. 9) and having sides of concave contour in direction longitudinally of said shafts, said contour being such as to substantially conform to the curvature of the outer side of ball l5 that is adapted to be supported on said rollers Fig. 8, 10).

Below the rollers I3 and in a plane that substantially bisects the space between said rollers is a rotary brush [1 secured on a shaft 18 that is journalled at its ends in bearings on end walls 6. The said shaft is extends substantially in the same direction as the roller shafts I8, and the contour of said brush longitudinally of the axis of shaft [8 is also curved so as to substantially follow the circumferential contour of ball IS. The shaft I8 is journalled in bearings I9 carried by end walls 6 of the upper tank 2, and projects outwardly of one of said walls. said projecting end of shaft I8 carries a pair of similar diameter pulleys 20 and a larger diameter pulley 2| (Fig. 2).

The shafts H] that carry rollers 13 also project from the same wall 6 from which shaft l8 projects, and each of said shafts l0 carries a pulley 22 of larger diameter than pulleys 20. Pulleys 22 are of the same diameter and are of substantially the same diameter as pulley 2| (Fig. 2). A belt 25 connects one of the pulleys 2|] with one of the pulleys 22, while a belt 26 connects the other pulley 20 with the other The pulley 22. Belt 21 connects pulley 2| with a pulley 28 on the armature shaft of a motor 29, the latter being supported on a platform 33 that is hinged at one of its edges 3| to base 4 (Fig. 2). A pair of bolts 32 secured to base at one of their ends extends vertically through the platform 30 that is opposite its hinged edge 3|, anda nut 34 (Fig. 5) on each of said bolts function as adjusting means for holding the platform at any desired degree of inclination. As the armature shaft that carries pulley 28 is parallel with the hinged edge 3| and spaced from said edge to be nearer bolts 32, it is seen that the platform and motor are adapted to function as a belt tight-ener to keep belt 21 taut.

The rollers l3 are preferably of medium soft synthetic rubber, or are at least covered with such rubber, which is resistant to the solvent or cleaner used for cleaning the balls.

The positioning of the rollers |3 relative to brush I! is such that when ball I5 is supported on said rollers the tops of the bristles of brush will engage the surface of the ball. The brush does not support the weight of the ball, and with the bristles just engaging the surface of the ball the brush is in its most efficient position for cleaning the ball. Also the bristles will not be injured, but will wear down evenly and slowly and will retain their cleaning efficiency during such wear. laterally, the ball may be lowered as the brush wears down.

The divergent positioning of the rollers I3 causes the ball l5 to gradually rotate in such a manner that all sides of the ball are cleaned by the bristles. In other words it will tend to rotate about a vertical axis as well as a horizontal axis. This action enables a uniform cleaning of all points on the ball, a result that is not possible were the ball to merely rotate on a horizontal axis generally parallel with the axis of the brush even were the brush to extend around the brush and past the center of the ball at opposite sides of the latter.

By the pulley arrangement, the brush rotates appreciably faster than the ball is rotated and the rollers and brush rotate in the same direction.

Adjacent the top of the tank 2 and removably supported on flanges 37 of the tank, is a plate 38 that is formed with a central circular aperture of greater diameter than that of ball |5. The 'plate may be secured on flanges 31 by any suitable means, such as screws 39. It is noted that the ends of the tank have outturned flanges while the sides have inturned flanges (Figs. 6, 9). However, any suitable structure may be employed for holding plate 33 on the tank.

Secured to the plate 38 and coaxial'with the central opening in the plate is an annular brush 46 having radially inwardly projecting bristles that are adapted to engage the ball l5 when the latter is positioned on rollers l3. This brush 4B isstationary.

Below said brush tit and above the roller 13 that is at one side of the ball (Fig. 9) is an arcuately extending spray nozzle 6| (Fig. 6) that is adapted to direct a fine stream of a liquid cleaner against the ball. This spray may be at either side of the ball but is preferably at the side that is rotating toward the brush ll. Said spray nozzle may be secured to one side I of the tank 2 by means of a bracket 52. A feed pipe 43 (Fig. 3) connects with one end of said spray nozzle, which pipe extends to a pump 45 By adjusting the rollers l3 An air dome 46 (Figs. 3, 4) communicates with said pipe at a point between the sprayer 4| and the pump by means of a T fitting 41 (Fig. 3), which dome functions as a ram and surge equalizer. A valve 49 (Fig. 4) at the upper end of the dome permits release of sufficient air from the dome to admit the desired amount of liquid into the latter.

Pump 45 is driven by a motor 50, although it is obvious that it may be driven by motor 29 that drives the brush and rollers.

A pipe 5| extends from the lower end of a gutter 52 that is in the form of a depression or channel in the bottom of tank 2, said gutter extending slantingly downwardly to pipe 5| (Fig. 1). Said pipe conducts liquid cleaner from tank 2 into lower tank 3.

A pipe 54 extends from the bottom of tank 3 to the intake side of pump 45. A conventional sediment trap 55 may be interposed in the length of the pipe 54 to catch undesirable solid material not in solution in the cleaner.

In operation, the ball I5 is placed on rollers It as seen in Fig. 9 and in this position brush 49 encircles the ball with its bristles in contact with the latter. Also the bristles of rotary brush i'l engage the ball along an arc in a vertical plane at right angles. to the horizontal plane in which brush 49 is disposed. The motor 29 will cause the brush IT to revolve on the same direction as rollers l3 but at a higher speed than the rollers l3, whereby there will be a relative movement between the brush and ball IE to effect a cleaning by the latter.

If motor 50 is. actuated at the same time as motor the liquid cleaner is pumped to sprayer ii and forceably ejected against the ball.

The ball will not revolve about a fixed axis relative to horizontal, but will move about two axes due to the divergence of the axes of the rollers l3, whereby every portion of the ball will be subjected to a cleaning by brush IT as well as by brush 4%).

After the ball is cleaned it is readily lifted out of the machine by means of the finger holes in the ball, and the latter ready for use after a short drying period, although the solvent or cleaner drys so quickly as to make the drying period negligible in point of time.

It is to be understood that the description and drawings are not restrictive of the invention, but merely illustrative thereof.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball cleaner comprising, means for supporting a bowling ball for rotation about its center and for rotating said ball, a power driven rotary brush positioned to engage a side of said ball during said rotation, a stationary annular brush secured in'a position encircling said ball and in engagement with the latter during said rotation, and a spray device for directing a spray of liquid cleaner against said ball when the latter is supported on said means and is rotated, said device being positioned between said rotary brush and said stationary brush.

2. A bowling ball cleaner comprising, means for supporting a bowling ball for rotation about its center and for rotating said ball, a power driven rotary brush positioned to engage a side of said ball during said rotation, a stationary annular brush secured in a position encircling said ball and in engagement with the latter during said rotation, said stationary brush being horizontal and in a horizontal plane substantially bisecting said ball when the ball is on said means, and said rotary brush being below said ball.

3. A bowling ball cleaner comprising a pair of horizontally spaced rollers supported for rotation about slightly divergent axes, means for rotating said rollers in the same direction, said rollers having sides of concave contour in direc tion longitudinally thereof for supporting a bowling ball thereon for rotating the latter, a rotary power-driven brush having sides of concave contour in engagement with such ball when the latter is supported on said rollers, the said contour of said brush substantially corresponding to the curvature of the outside of said ball and means for directing a fluid cleaner against said ball when the latter is on said rollers.

4. A bowling ball cleaner comprising a pair of horizontally spaced rollers supported for rotation about slightly divergent axes, means for rotating said rollers in the same direction, said rollers having sides of concave contour in direction longitudinally thereof for supporting a bowling ball thereon for rotating the latter, a rotary power-driven brush having sides of concave contour in engagement with such ball when the latter is supported on said rollers, the said contour of said brush substantially corresponding to the curvature of the outside of said ball and means for directing a fluid cleaner against said ball when the latter is on said rollers, an annular stationary brush adapted to encircle said ball with its bristles in engagement with said ball when the latter is rotated on said rollers.

5. A bowling ball cleaner comprising a pair of horizontally extending rollers horizontally spaced apart for supporting a bowling ball thereon with a lowermost joint on said ball positioned between said rollers at about the level of the lower sides of the latter, means supporting said rollers for rotation about axis extending generally in the same direction, and means for so rotating said rollers, a brush supported be low said ball for rotation about an axis extending in generally the same direction as the axes of said rollers and with said axis in a vertical plane bisecting the space between said rollers, said brush having radially outwardly extending bristles and the external contour of said brush in a direction axially thereof substantially corresponding with the curvature of the outside of the bowling ball with the tips of its bristles in said plane contacting the lower half of said ball. means for rotating said brush at a substantially higher rate of speed than the rate at which said rollers are rotated, the axis of said rollers extending slightly divergently relative to each other whereby a ball supported thereon will be progressively shifted about intersecting axes extending perpendicularly to each other through the center of the ball with one of said latter axes extending substantially in the same direction as one of the axes of said rollers.

DOUGLAS F. F'REITAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: